Tag Archives: Mixed Media

Estella and Pip are sitting at dusk near the old Satis House property, which now belongs to Estella. This is the first time they’ve spoken or seen each other in about 15 years. (They are both single, by the way!) She asks if he still lives abroad. He tells her he works hard for a “sufficient living”. She tells him she has thought of him more and more lately. Over the years she has tried hard not to think of what she thew away. Meaning a happy life with Pip, accepting his love and friendship. She plans to leave him again, as before, but hopefully this time as friends. “We are friends,” Pip replies. They walk away from the ruined place holding hands. I must stop here and mention that there are two endings:

– Dickens’ original, somewhat unhappy, ending where Pip and Estella meet after about 17-18 years on a street in London, not at Satis House as mentioned above. She is married to a doctor (after Drummle died from the horse incident). They are not wealthy and there is no mention of her having had children. Pip sees sadness in her eyes and believes that she now understands how he felt about her. They part and that’s it. End of story.

– The second is a more favorable ending, as mentioned above, where they meet up at Satis House. This ending implies that they remain together for the rest of their days. The very last sentence ends with “…I saw no shadow of another parting from her.” He never sees her shadow because she never leaves his side again. Dickens did not go on and tell of marriage or children or even a happy life together. That is up to your imagination!

Although this is the last page of the book, this will not be my last post. I plan to do at least one more, sort of an overall piece to end this almost-five-year-long project. I want to thank everyone who encouraged me along the way. I welcome any and all critiques, good or bad!

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{Day 383 Page 410} This is the third to last post on this project… three pages to go. Back to the book – let’s wrap this up…
Pip is visiting his childhood home after being away for eleven years. Joe and Biddy have two children, a boy named after Pip and a baby girl. The little Pip reminds big Pip of himself. He takes him out for a walk to the church graveyard in the marshes where his mother and father are buried. (Pip’s parents were Pirrip and Georgiana.) After dinner that night, Biddy tells Pip he should marry. He says he has become an old bachelor, living with Herbert and Clara. She asks him if he’s gotten over Estella. He says no, but it was all a poor dream. Through the grapevine he’s heard that she had a miserable marriage to Drummle. Drummle was cruel and abusive to her. He died two years ago in an accident with a horse. And Pip has not heard anything of her since. Later that night, Pip slips off to town to visit the location of the old Satis House, where he spent many hours tending to the old, frail Miss Havisham and pining over the beautiful, cruel Estella. The house and brewery are long gone. All that remains is the old crumbling garden wall and the ivy. It’s dusk and there is a silvery mist with stars shining in the sky.

Here is a large portrait of Pip, all green to represent his Great Expectations, the money he received from Magwitch. This money funded most of his adult life, allowing him to live well, buying fancy shoes and furnishings. It also funded his friend and roommate, Herbert Pocket’s business. Pip now works for Herbert at that business. Stay tuned to see whose portrait I do next!

{Day 381, Page 407} Pip recovers from the shock of finding out about Joe and Biddy’s marriage. He says he’s very happy for both of them. And that they couldn’t have done better. He thanks them for paying off his debt which kept him out of prison. He is planning to leave in an hour (change of plans since he will no longer be courting Biddy). He plans to go abroad and work to repay them. He hopes that they have children to love. Perhaps a little boy like himself to sit by the fire with Joe, as Pip had once done. He asks that they not tell the child that Pip had been ungenerous and unjust. Joe would never think of it. He asks for their forgiveness. Joe says there is nothing to forgive. Biddy says yes. Pip goes up to look at his old little room upstairs. He informs them that after dinner and drinks he’ll be on his way. Of course if Joe and Biddy hadn’t married, Pip would be staying longer. To win over her heart. Too late, Pip!

I found these pictures of the extinct Dodo bird and incorporated them into this art journal spread in an old book. (I was experimenting with my newest, latest, greatest art supply: Gelatos!) Pip must feel like they did, not extinct, but very, very lonely. Will he ever find love?

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Above is my own interpretation of Snow White, based on the lessons from the Ever After class: http://www.willowing.org/ever-after-2016/ It’s been a lot of fun! I decided to give her snow white hair and a black dress. She looks a little depressed 😦

Below is my Snow White on the left that was influenced by Annie Hamman’s on the right (she’s so talented! love her work):

The Handless Maiden, mine on the left (with a more ethnic look, Indian perhaps) and Gaila Alena’s on the right. Her work is beautiful, maybe not my style, but it’s so nicely done.

I am so behind on this Great Expectations project! But I haven’t been lollygagging about. Oh no. This is ONE of the reasons I’ve been preoccupied, neglecting my poor Pip: I’ve signed up for this four month long online class called Ever After. I posted my Little Mermaid (based on Tamara Laport’s art) and my Beauty & the Beast (based on Andrea Gomoll’s art) earlier. I promise I’ll get back to Pip soon, but it may have to wait until this class is over!Save

Sharing with you the work I’ve been doing in the Ever After online class. It’s been fun! I’m three weeks in on this four month class. It’s not my usual subject matter (fairy tales) or my usual way of working (painting in someone else’s style). BUT, I’ve learned a lot about myself and how I do like to work. Take a look below and see the online class if you’re interested. (See link below my pics)

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For my birthday I received some pan pastels! It’s an introductory set of just five colors. I had fun playing with these on this piece. I need to practice more with them. But I love how smooth and creamy they are!

{Day 370 Page 396} Pip finds out that Miss Havisham is dead. He asks about her property. Just being curious. Before she passed, she wrote out an amendment to her will, adding 4,000 pounds to go to Mr Mathew Pocket. Pip is pleased at this. Matthew is the father of his roommate and friend Herbert. Matthew has never squabbled about her money with the other relatives. Joe goes on to tell how much money was left for those other relatives. Considerably less than what Matthew got. Changing the topic, Joe tells Pip that Orlick robbed poor Mr Pumblechook, the corn and seedsman. Orlick and his partner in crime (no name mentioned) drank his wine, took his till, his cashbox and ate his food. They tied up and beat Mr P, stuffing flowers in his mouth to keep him from screaming for help. But Mr P knew who Orlick was and now Orlick is sitting in jail. Good!

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Happy Winter! Finally cooler here. It’s December, after all!
[Day 329, Page 352]
Jaggers and Wemmick get back to work while Pip looks on, as if nothing has happened. But there is tension in the air now. The two men look uncomfortable, as Pip has never seen them. Maybe too many secrets were revealed, including Wemmick having a private and pleasant life outside of work. Pip stays on and watches as a client comes in. He’s crying and babbling about his daughter being suspected of shoplifting. He’s there to get their legal help. Wemmick and Jaggers both lose their patience with him. Wemmick demands that the man leave if he cannot control his emotions. (So cold!) “I’ll have no feeling here. Get out.” (So harsh!)

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Back to the story…
[Day 328, Page 352]
After Molly’s ordeal (killing her lover’s wife, being tried for murder and losing her daughter), she was afraid to go out into the world. So Jaggers took her in and kept her in line (his words). He employed her as a maid. Jaggers tells Pip that Estella only married Drummle for money, not love. Pip, Jaggers and Wemmick have just been discussing what Pip figured out. That Molly and Provis (Magwitch) are Estella’s true parents. Provis does not know that Estella and Molly are both still alive. Jaggers asks Pip what good it would do to let this news out. It would only disgrace Estella in the eyes of her new husband and his family. It would hurt her. He tells Pip he should cut off both his badly burned hands before spilling the beans on this secret. Wemmick, Jaggers and Pip all silently touch their fingers to their lips. Mums the word!

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Here is the final accordion book with all the panels filled up with art based on various pages between 286 and 327 of Great Expectations. I used all kinds of media: acrylic, collage, ribbon, graphite, ink and paint markers. I always have trouble photographing accordion books because they are so long. If anyone out there knows a better way, please let me know!

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[Day 321 Page 343] While Herbert changes out Pip’s bandages, he tells Pip what he’s learned from Provis (Magwitch), more about his background. He says Provis has mellowed some. Provis had told Herbert about a woman he once knew (no name given). This woman had had a fight with another stronger, older woman. This fight took place in a barn and ended in the older woman being strangled to death by the younger one. (WHAT?!) This younger woman was tried for murder. She was represented by Jaggers and was acquitted. (Now I remember why I loved this book in high school! So many twists and surprises.) Is Provis the man who had the affair with Molly and is the father of Estella?! This is all coming from Herbert as he tells Pip what Provis told him recently.

[Day 322 Page 344] More from Herbert… On the night that Molly strangled the other woman, she swore to Provis, out of jealousy, that she’d destroy the child they’d had together. She told him he’d never see their daughter again. During the trial, Provis stays in hiding so as not to complicate matters and get Molly in further trouble. After the trial, Molly and their daughter disappear. He’s not seen them since. He assumes Molly killed their little girl. In one night, he lost his wife (the murdered one), Molly (girlfriend) and his daughter (now named Estella). That’s rough. Provis’s business partner (in crime), Compeyson, knows about all of this and that there may have been a child murdered. He holds this over Provis and treats him poorly, cheating him.

[Day 323 Page 345] Herbert is now finished telling all he knows. He and Pip try to figure out how long ago all this happened – Molly strangling Provis’s wife and she and the daughter disappearing. Pip tells Herbert what he has put together from all of this new knowledge. Provis is Estella’s father. And Molly, her mother. I am thinking that Jaggers and Wemmick are the only ones that know the whole truth. {Chapter 51} Pip feels compelled to disclose this new information to all parties concerned: Provis, Molly, and most importantly, Estella. He decides to meet with Jaggers the next day to confirm the truth.

[Day 324 Page 346] Pip finds Jaggers and Wemmick going over the books in their office. They ask him to describe the events of the fire at Satis House. Pip gives a full account of that horrible night. By giving Pip his sympathy, Jaggers comes across as more personable than usual. Pip then hands over the note from Miss Havisham requesting the money to pay off Herbert’s business debt. He gets a check for 900 pounds from them. Jaggers says he is sorry that they can’t do more for him. Pip admits to only wanting one thing from Miss H and that was all she knew about Estella’s background.

Here are four more panels on the accordion book, mixed media. These panels are very tiny, but all together looks pretty cool. Only a few panels left to go and it will be finished!

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My name is Julie and I'm reading Great Expectations one page a day and also creating one little work of art (30 minutes or less) a day relating to what I read. Thanks for looking and reading. Leave a comment to let me know what you think!

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